“Today meant the world to us. It's been 24 years coming, waiting for justice for Brian,” said Tammy Perreault, Brian’s mother.

Watson was Perreault's boyfriend back in 1989. Perreault left her son, Wiggin, with Watson as she went to work.

Watson later admitted that he shook Wiggin, who was four and a half months old at the time, to stop him from crying. The injuries left the boy a quadriplegic and severely disabled.

“I never got to hear his first words, never got to see him walk. I mean, he never had a girlfriend,” said Perreault.

In 2008, Wiggin died from his injuries. The medical examiner ruled the cause of death was a result of the shaking he had endured nearly 19 years earlier.

In court on Friday, Watson apologized for his actions. He said his life was broken at the time and that he was an alcoholic.

Perreault said that listening to Watson’s statement made her angry.

“Because it felt he was turning it on like he's had such a rough life and the past 24 years have been hell for me and my family,” Perreault said.

Perrault said ever since that day her son was injured, she has lived with a tremendous amount of guilt, for bringing Watson into her home. Now with Watson’s sentencing, she said she can begin to put that behind her.

“Now I'm learning how to live again and it's very hard. Very hard,” said Perreault.

Perreault said when prosecutors asked what she would consider justice, she said she wanted Watson to do a year in prison for every year her son suffered.

IT PLED GUILTY TO MANSLAUGHTER. WE SPOKE WITH THE BOY'S MOTHER. WHAT DID SHE HAVE TO SAY? THE VICTIM'S MOTHER SAYS THAT HER SON NEVER GOT THE CHANCE FOR A NORMAL LIFE. BUT DESPITE THAT, SHE CONSIDERED HIM THE STRONGEST PERSON SHE HAS EVER KNOWN. AND NOW HE CAN REST IN PEACE. FOR NEARLY A QUARTER-CENTURY, TAMMY HAS WAITED FOR JUSTICE. FRIDAY MORNING IN BELKNAP COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT, IT FINALLY CAME. TODAY MEANT THE WORLD TO US. IT HAS BEEN 24 YEARS COMING, WAITING FOR JUSTICE. 47-YEAR-OLD BRUCE WATSON WAS HER BOYFRIEND IN 1989. SHE LEFT HER SON WITH WATSON AS SHE WENT TO WORK. WATSON LATER ADMITTED THAT HE SHOOK BRIAN WHO WAS FOREIGN A HALF MONTH OLD AT THE TIME TO STOP HIM FROM CRYING -- WHO WAS FOUR AND A HALF YEARS OLD OF THE TIME. . IT LEFT THE BOY PARAPLEGIC, SEVERELY DISABLED. I NEVER GOT TO HEAR HIS FIRST WORD, NEVER GOT TO HEAR -- SEE HIM WALK. HE NEVER HAD A GIRLFRIEND. IN 2008 TOM O'BRIEN DIED FROM HIS INJURIES. THE CAUSE OF DEATH WAS THE RESULT OF THE SHAKING BRIAN ENDURED NEARLY 19 YEARS EARLIER. FRIDAY IN COURT, WATSON APOLOGIZED FOR HIS ACTIONS IN A VOICE THAT WAS BARELY AUDIBLE. HE SAID HIS LIFE IS BROKEN AT THE TIME AND HE WAS AN ALCOHOLIC. THE MOTHER SAYS LISTENING TO THE STATEMENT MADE HER ANGRY. BECAUSE I FELT LIKE HE WAS TURNING IT ALL AROUND, YOU KNOW, HE HAS HAD SUCH A TOUGH LIFE. THE PAST 24 YEARS HAVE BEEN HARD FOR ME AND MY FAMILY. THAT DAY BACK IN DECEMBER OF 1989 WHEN HER SON WAS INJURED, SHE REMEMBERS IT AND HAS LIVED WITH A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF GUILT FOR BRINGING WATSON INTO HER HOME. NOW SHE SAYS SHE CAN BEGIN TO PUT THAT BEHIND HER. NOW I AM LEARNING HOW TO LIVE AGAIN, AND IT IS VERY HARD. SHE SAYS WHEN PROSECUTORS ASKED HER WHAT SHE WOULD CONSIDER JUST, SHE SAID SHE WANTED WATSON TO DO A YEAR IN PRISON FOR EVERY YEAR THAT HER SON SUFFERED. TWO DAYS SENTENCE REQUIRING

A Justice Department civil rights investigation has concluded that the Ferguson Police Department and the city's municipal court engaged in a "pattern and practice" of discrimination against African-Americans, according to a U.S. law enforcement official.